


Parenthood

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: OQPromptParty2018 Entries [9]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fix-It, Mother-Son Relationship, OQPromptParty2018, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 08:26:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14101377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: Seven moments of Robin and Regina being a united parental force in their children's lives.





	Parenthood

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 25 March 2018  
> Word Count: 3007  
> Written for: OQPromptParty2018  
> Prompts: See each section for prompt details, but the following were used: 15, 17, 36, 37, 122, 130, 137, 145, 159  
> Summary: Nine moments of Robin and Regina being a united parental force in their children's lives.  
> Spoilers: Canon divergent AU jinking off during Zelena's pregnancy where Robin lived, and basically nothing else happened exactly as canon showed it.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: I love writing domestic family fics, ngl. These are just some fun moments I wanted to play with. And several of them are already earmarked to get expanded out into longer, proper fics.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Not beta'd, as I don't have a regular OQ/DOQ beta yet. But if you see anything that needs correcting, proper concrit goes a long way toward getting it fixed.

**015\. Roland and Robyn meet for the first time.**

"Roland, my boy, are you ready?"

Roland practically vibrates with excitement as he sits on the uncomfortable plastic chair in the waiting room. Robin's not sure how he can be so blissfully oblivious to the strain of what's going on around him, but he attributes it to the exuberance of being five.

"Yes, Papa! Is my sister pretty?"

Robin smiles at that and runs his hand over his son's curls. "I happen to think she's the most beautiful baby girl in all the world, just as you were the most beautiful baby boy."

"Does she have a name yet?"

"Not yet, but that will come soon enough. Now remember, son, you need to be gentle and quiet. Your sister is tiny and the world is very big and loud and scary for her."

Robin pauses as he hears the familiar staccato of heels coming down the corridor toward them. His face lights up as he watches Regina move to take the open seat on Roland's other side, automatically getting up to help support the precious bundle in her arms as she does. He eases the blanket back from the baby's face and presses a kiss to her forehead, then to Regina's temple before sitting again.

"Roland, this is your baby sister," Regina says softly, and Robin can hear the tremor of emotion in her words. She is clearly forcing herself not to cry, for so many reasons. "Do you think you'd like to be a big brother and hold her for the first time?"

Roland's eyes go wide at her question and he shakes his head. "She's so little!" he whispers. "I could hurt her."

"Papa and I will make sure you don't. It's okay, handsome, I promise. Everyone else has held her in our family."

"Even Henry?"

"Even Henry."

"Okay."

Regina shifts slightly to settle the baby in Roland's arms as Robin helps him to support her weight. Roland watches her, scarcely breathing until her eyes flutter open and seem to focus on her face. The sheer awe and love reflecting on his face makes Robin's heart clench in his chest.

"Hi, Peanut," Roland whispers, leaning in to kiss the baby's forehead. "I'm your big brother, Roland. I promise I'm gonna protect you and love you lots."

Robin and Regina share a curious look at the name Roland gives the baby. "Why Peanut, my boy?"

Roland glances briefly up at his father with a knowing look before returning his gaze to his sister. "Because her nose looks like the peanuts that Henry gives me to snack on sometimes. It's little like that, and she's little, so she's Peanut."

*****

**017\. Robin is there when Regina finds out she’s going to be a grandmother.**

"Hey, Mom," Henry says, kissing her cheek as he and Ella step into the house.

"How is it that you look like you've grown since I last saw you, Henry Daniel Mills?" The faint blush to his cheeks makes her smile more broadly at him, then she moves to hug Ella as Henry gets a handshake from Robin. "You look incredible today, dear. Come on, I've got brunch all set to go in the dining room. Let me just grab the pitcher of mimosas."

She turns to head back up into the house, but Henry reaches out to grab her hand, stopping her. "Hey, can that wait a minute? There's something I need to talk to you guys about first."

Frowning slightly, Regina nods. "We can go in the den? We're still waiting on your brother and sister yet."

The four of them move to sit down in the den, Henry and Ella on the couch as Robin takes his favorite chair. Regina causally sits in Robin's lap, internally praying that she doesn't need the support she fears she will. Henry glances at Ella and nods as she pulls out a small, flat, wrapped box and hands it to Regina.

"Open it, Mom. It's for both of you."

"You're being awfully suspicious, Henry," she replies as she opens the box. Lifting the lid and pushing the tissue paper aside, she finds a small picture frame with an apple tree and the words "Doesn't fall far…" on it. And then the image in the frame registers, tears filling her eyes at the realization. "H-Henry?"

The bright, boyish smile on his face is all the confirmation she needs as she presses the frame into Robin's arms to pull her son and daughter-in-law into a tight hug. Slightly confused, Robin glances at the image and recognition is a little slower, but he remembers the last time he saw one of these.

They're going to be grandparents.

His wife is beside herself with emotion as she kneels in front of Ella, hands pressed to the still-flat belly. She's murmuring in Spanish, most of it going right past his still rudimentary understanding, but he hears abuelita several times from both women, and just knows that this will be something he will hear for years to come in reference to his wife's newest role in life.

*****

**036\. Robin or Regina have to pick up a drunk Henry or Roland.**

"M-Mama?"

Just the sound of his hesitant voice is enough to wake her from a deep sleep. "Roland? What's wrong?" There's a bit of weird noise in the background, and it takes a few seconds to realize he's throwing up. "Roland, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"C-Can you pick me up? I don't feel so good. This party was a bad idea. Should've listened to you."

"Stay on the phone with me, okay? I'll use it to find you while your father and I come get you." 

"Am I in trouble?"

She gets out of bed, waking Robin and using magic to get them dressed in sweats before heading down to the car. "You are, but we'll discuss that later. Right now, I need to make sure you're okay first. Talk to your father while I drive. We're coming to get you, handsome."

*****

**037\. Henry comes out as ace/bi/etc to Regina and Robin.  
**  
122\. Regina & Robin chaperone Henry’s senior prom.

It's not what she was expecting when Henry asked to talk to her and Robin about his upcoming prom. Admonitions about not being those parents? Yes. Reminders that he and his friends would be good and weren't into the whole "drink until you nearly die" thing? Yes. His choice of date for the prom? Not so much.

"Okay, so you know prom is coming up, right?"

Regina chuckles. "Henry, we're on the parental planning committee and we're chaperoning. Of course, we know it's coming up. Who are you taking? Is it Violet?"

"Yeah, about that…" He scratches at the back of his neck, and Regina finds herself melting that he picked up the trait from her husband.

"Henry, you know we won't judge you for who you take to the prom, lad."

He smiles up at Robin then and nods. "Good. Because I don't want you to react like I know other people might when I walk into prom with my girlfriend… and my boyfriend."

For a handful of seconds, the world seems to stop spinning on its axis as she begins to process it. The warmth of Robin's hand on her back leaves as he leans forward to hug Henry and whisper something in his ear. And then her baby boy is looking at her, fear in his eyes. As the world rights itself again, Regina pulls Henry into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispers in his ear and presses a kiss to his cheek before pulling back to cup his face in her hands. "Thank you for trusting us with this information. You know this doesn't change how much we love you, right?"

"I know, Mom. I just-- I mean, I know that you're bi."

"How did you-- I never--"

"Two words. Aunt Mal. Wait! Three more. My sister, Lily." He smirks and offers a nonchalant shrug.

"You are far too smug about this, young man," she says, absolutely no venom to her words, and presses a kiss to his forehead. "So who is your boyfriend? And do both of them know what's going on?"

Henry chews on his bottom lip for a minute. "They do both know what's going on. They aren't really into each other, but they're both really close and like that they both have something that makes me happy."

Robin grins and puts a hand on Henry's arm. "And that's all that matters, lad. So who's the fella that I get to have a little heart to heart with about the creative ways your mother and I will hurt him if he hurts you?"

"Oh, I want in on that little chat, too, Robin," Regina replies with a grin, a fireball flaring to life in her hand.

"Oh my god," Henry replies and drops his head into his hands. "You're gonna be the death of me!"

*****

**130\. Robin and Henry bond.  
**  
137\. Henry worries about his mother and confides in Robin.

Robin watches Henry with his bow and arrows, mentally correcting the errors in stance and grip. After a couple of minutes of this, complete with Henry's mood and aim growing worse, he clears his throat and walks over.

"Mind if I offer some assistance, lad?"

Henry stiffens a little, but takes a deep breath and relaxes as he lets it out. "Sure. I mean, I know I'm hopeless at this, but--"

"You're not hopeless, Henry. Quite the opposite, in fact. With a little instruction and practice, you could be quite proficient with a bow." The bright smile on Henry's face is encouraging, but he can still see something dark lurking in his eyes. "Your biggest error is that you're not solely focusing on what you're doing. That can be dangerous."

"I know. I thought this might help me think about M-- things more easily, but it just made it worse."

Robin catches the slip, and his heartrate speeds up a bit at the thought of something wrong with Regina. "What's going on? Perhaps an objective ear will help you figure it out?"

When Henry nods, they go to pick up the arrows and replace them in the quiver before moving to sit on a log. Robin lets Henry get settled and sort his own thoughts, just wanting to be support to his stepson as much as possible.

"Something's wrong with Mom," he finally says. "It's nothing bad, but she's just acting weird lately. I've caught her crying a lot, and she keeps trying to hide it and tell me she's okay, but I know she's not."

Some of Robin's own tension dissipates at his description, and he claps a hand on Henry's shoulder in support. "I think I know what you're talking about, and I can assure you that your mother actually is fine. Mostly."

"Mostly? So something is wrong then?"

"Have you forgotten that your mother has a pretty big milestone birthday coming up this year? And you'll be off to college soon enough, too. It's weighing on her mind and making her emotional. But I bet you could make her feel better by giving her a full day for just the two of you. Don't worry about me, Roland, or Peanut. We'll do our own thing while you give your mom the gift of you uninterrupted for a whole day."

"You think so?"

"I know so. She loves you more than anything in the world, Henry. She made herself a better person because she wanted to be worthy of your love and trust. She'd do anything for you. She has done pretty much anything for you."

Henry grins brightly and hugs Robin. "Thanks, Robin! I'm glad you're my stepdad, and that you don't judge me or Mom when we screw up."

"Not a chance of that happening, lad," he replies, returning the hug gratefully.

*****

**159\. Peanut’s first period & Robin’s the only one home.**

Walking into the house, Robin can feel that something's off. Regina's still at Town Hall and Roland should be at football practice. That just leaves Peanut. He knows she hates the nickname, but he still has such issues calling her by his own name. Zelena's choice to name their daughter after him was weird, particularly given that she had no desire to keep full custody. But Roland had named her Peanut just hours after she was born, and it had stuck.

"Peanut?" he calls out, curious to know where she is.

"Papa?"

She's in the downstairs bathroom. The fear in her voice tears at his heart as he goes to open the door, finding it locked. "Sweetheart, the door's locked. Will you let me in?"

"Promise you won't freak out?"

That makes him frown. What on earth could have happened for his daughter to fear him like this? "I promise, Peanut. Please let me in?"

The click of the lock sounds and he opens the door to find her huddled against the wall in her sweats and a hoodie, face streaked in tear tracks and eyes red from crying. Without thought, he kneels next to her and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"What's happened? Did someone bully you at school?"

She shakes her head and latches onto him tightly, face pressed against his chest as she says, "I think I'm dying."

He starts to speak, then sees the clothes soaking in the tub, a faint red tinge to the water. Everything starts to fall into place. He and Regina have been preparing for this ever since she'd been born, it seemed. The fact that Regina isn't here to be involved makes him a little sad, but his little girl is becoming a woman and he needs to step up and be her father.

"You're not dying, Peanut. Don't you remember Mama having that talk with you last year?"

"Which one?" she asks, then pulls back abruptly to stare at him with wide, terrified eyes. "But I'm too little for this!"

Zelena had mentioned that she'd been a bit precocious in her own development, so they knew to expect the possibility. But Peanut is ten, nearly eleven now. Regina has said that this isn't hideously early to start. Oh, what he wouldn't do to have her calming presence here right now.

"Apparently not. Would you like me to call Mama and have her come home?"

She shakes her head and cries a little more. He gives her a moment, then starts asking the embarrassing questions he knows she won't want to answer. "I see you're soaking your clothes. That's good. Have you used the pads that Mama keeps under the sink?" When she shakes her head, he smiles and kisses the top of her head again. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a nice hot shower and then get into clean clothes with one of those pads on? I'll make you some of those extra fudge brownies Mama likes when she has her period and grab you the heating pad if you have any cramps, okay?"

"Thank you, Papa," she whispers and leans up to kiss his cheek. "Will you tell Mama what happened?"

"If you'd like me to, I will. Now go shower and get changed. Mama always says that turning on the water as hot as she can stand it helps her feel better."

She nods and gets up slowly, a hand on her stomach in a pose he's seen on his wife in the past, and he feels badly for his little girl. But she smiles bravely at him and heads upstairs to do as told. He checks on the soaking clothes, but knows it's not quite time to get them into the laundry yet. And then he heads into the kitchen, sending a text to Regina that he fully expected to have received from her.

*****

**145\. Roland falls ill.**

"Roland?" she asks as she steps into the nurse's office at Storybrooke Elementary.

"Mama?"

Her heart breaks when she sees him lying on the cot, huddled under a blanket and shivering. Without paying any mind to the school nurse, she moves to sit next to him and kisses his damp, overly warm forehead. "Oh my poor little archer," she murmurs, gathering him into her arms.

"Don't feel good, Mama. Tummy's icky."

"That's what the nurse said when she called me. How about we go home and get you some of my special get better soup before we snuggle in my big bed?"

"No soup," he moans, then his body lurches as he starts to vomit all over her and the cot. His tears come harder as she holds him. "Mama…"

When he stops, she uses magic to clean up the mess, then scoops him up in her arms as she heads out to the car. She takes a moment to get him properly into his car seat, then heads home. Henry's childhood trained her to keep things like crackers and ginger ale in constant supply in the house, so she knows they'll be there for him.

Once at home, she gets him into the house and up to the master bathroom. She strips him out of his clothes as she runs a cool bath and takes his temperature. High, but not dangerously so. He gets medicine and then magic changes her clothes into a tank top and a pair of boxers before she steps into the tub with Roland. He stretches out over her body, head resting over her heart, and whimpers until she pulls the wet towel over their bodies.

"Just rest now, handsome. Mama's got you. We'll try to get rid of that icky fever first, then we'll go snuggle, okay?"

"'Kay. Tired, Mama."

"I know you are. If you want to take a nap, you can. I've got you, handsome, you're home and safe now, okay?"

He nods slowly and she feels his body growing heavier as he succumbs to the healing sleep she knows he needs.


End file.
